The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-11-05
THE MODEST PILGRIM.
A Worthy Individual Best Appreciated
After gpc II noua

''Dss'sy AuutNtouht DebJ hVpTeClatSu
After lle IL Dead.
There is little pilgrim on life's
rough way. bearing his cross from day
to day. whom you have all soen.
Modest, patient and forgiving, he jour-
neys along the pathway to tho grave.
growing calmly and beautifully old.
He is so quiet, unobtrusive and modest
that he is seldom heard Of. It is a
pleasure to meet him because he speaks
evil of nobody, but has good words for
the whole human race. He is poor be-
cause he is generous. People borrow
money of him and never return It.
Very frequently he goes to bed supper
less and wakes in the morning with
nothing to eat, while the cheeky man
who borrowed money of him the other
day is riding in a hack or ordering
porterhouse steak we'll done with onions
and fagon of wine, no. to wash it
down. The pilgrim on life's highway
has no cheek. The crop of brass was
short when no was constructed, and
consequently that ingredient was left
out 1t Is unfortunate for him, for less
worthy men get ali the fat takes while
he tolls away on solid nonpareil
without a break in it. (This smile
was suggested by compositor, who is
modest sort of q fellow himself, and
who spends his leisure hours thinking
up nice, new similes.) The pilgrim
ON life's rough way is frequently man
OF learning and sometimes of genius,
but he is too modest to make his quali-
ties known. SO he hides his electric light
under bushel, while people who are
OF few days and full of gall go around
displaying their tallow candles and
pointing with pride to their radiance.
The people with the tallow candles cor,
ner most OF the good things of the
world and grow up into oracles and
politicians, although many of them can
not write their names without grinding
their teeth so that you can hear them q
mile. The pilgrim on lifes rough way
is jostled and pushed and knocked
clear off the sidewalk by the surging
throng, but he picks himself up with
forgiving smile and goes his peaceful
way, flinging a dime to an organ
grinder here and patting a bootblack
on the head there until he is jostled out
OF the way again and forced to walk in
the middle of the road to give the pave
ment to the men with the candles.
He grows old after awhile and he can
hear his joints creak rs he walks, and
his hair is silvered. and he is
still poor and struggling. The
men to whom he loaned money
years ago are rich now and live in
houses with bay windows and bath
rooms on every floor, and they point to
the weary pilgrim as man naturally
thriftless Of imprudent, who had the
ability to make success, but wasted
his opp ortunities. In the dusk of old
age. when he stands on the shore of the
river OF death and night gathers upon
the waters and spirit voices call him
away. the pilgrim on life's rough way
is still serene and forgiving. He
Launches his boat and looks with love
upon the world he leaves behind, and
sails fearlessly away for another world
where his light will be taken from be-
beath the bushel and swung on high,
lustrous as the stars, while the tallow
candles flutter and die out in the dark
ness of oblivion. When the last day
comes and we are all sized up according
to our merits. the pilgrim on life's
rough way will be there, calm, peace
full and forgiving. While the people to
whom he loaned money are endeavor-
ing perfect arrangements to have
the mountains fall on them, he
will DO judged impartially and
found worthy a.place in Abraham's
bosom, which he will take modestly and
becomingly, only expressing regret
hat it can not be shared by tho parties
who used to jostle him and crowd him
,ff the sidewalk and who are now iden-
.ified with long procession of goats
marching on the down grade to a
'egion where snow-shovels are drug |
IN the market. Whenever you meet |
he pilgrim on life's rough way be good
o him. II he has dollar or two re-
rain from borrowing it. Invite him to
line with you, and introduce him to
our wife and daughters. He deserves
t-Nebrask0 State Journal.